Speak of the Devil
by a.pens.name
Summary: Life is good. Suze has hope for her romantic life , the stream of lost souls has stopped for now, and her secret is still safe. Just one problem. Paul Slater has different plans that she isn't too thrilled with. But is it even him she has to look out for?
1. Chapter One: Deal with the Devil

A/N: Yeah, I don't own the Mediator story. As if. ^_^ I wish, but Meg Cabot does. Same with the characters from the series, sadly. Please review! Mwee, it's my first attempt at a fan fiction for the series, but I'm having fun writing it so I hope y'all like reading it. Thanks!  
  
Okay, to say I hadn't exactly been paying attention would probably be an understatement. Actually, it was most definitely an understatement. But hey, it really wasn't my fault. I didn't tell him to kiss me, did I? No, not that I didn't like him doing it, of course. In fact, I couldn't have been happier. Things were finally looking up for me. So maybe I could still talk to dead people and I had basically, in the course of a couple of days, visited limbo, for the second time, and basically sold me sold to the devil, AKA Paul Slater.  
  
So what? He'd finally kissed me. Jesse, obviously, didn't hate me quite as much as I thought he did. Sadly, me being the pathetic girl I am, this totally made my week.  
  
Which is probably why I was totally not paying attention when I was headed home from school about a week later. I'd missed my ride and, for once, it wasn't entirely my fault. I had a stupid meeting for the junior class government that I had to go to. Why CeeCee had nominated me for this position, I'd never know. Well, actually, it was probably just to overthrow the reign of the jocks in our school. Not that I wasn't all for it or anything, but I just wish someone else would've had the guts to do it and leave me out of it. The whole guiding lost souls to the next life thing took up a lot of my time.  
  
Anyway, I was leaving the classroom that we held our meeting in, conveniently located near the gates to exit the Mission, when a voice to my right nearly made me jump a foot in the air.  
  
"Hello Suze, you look good tonight." His voice said and I rolled my eyes. Would he ever leave me alone? Paul had to be one of the most aggravating people, alive or dead, that I think I've ever met. Not to mention he's a total weirdo. I mean, this guy has made some unwanted moves on me, made me totally ruin my feet for like three days, has tried to send my boyfriend off to purgatory-well, hopefully my boyfriend-, and could, and would if he felt like it, reveal my secret at the drop of a hat.  
  
Yeah, safe to say I wasn't thrilled with him.  
  
"You? What're you doing here?" I asked cautiously. Come on, the guy kind of creeped me out, I couldn't help sounding a little hostile.  
  
He looked hurt by my tone, "Is that anyway to greet me, Suze? You know, you and I are going to be spending a lot more time together now. I thought you would've at least tried to be a little more friendly."  
  
"Sure, whatever. Now if you don't mind, and even if you do, I've got to go home. Andy will kill me if I'm not back for dinner in time." And anyway, you're the last person I want to talk to right now, thanks anyway, I thought. There was only one reason I hadn't instantly socked him in the chest and walked away. It was, of course, Jesse.  
  
"Suze," Paul's light eyes sparkled with an almost demonic air and I tried hard to keep my heart steady and was suddenly glad I hadn't punched him. Not that he didn't deserve, oh no, but he was six feet of muscle and there was no way me, as tough as I am, could take him on. We mediators could really take a beating, but we aren't invincible.  
  
"My house tomorrow after school, I'll pick you up about two forty- five." He continued casually. I almost thought about giving him some reason I couldn't go before he gave me one of his smirks. God, I'd been talking to him on an almost daily basis after school lately, just not at his house. How much did he think I trusted him, anyway? It was hard enough trying to keep convincing Jesse that I had stupid government meetings to cover up for it. And I hadn't even learned anything from him yet.  
  
"Don't try it, Suze. You don't keep up your end of the bargain, and I won't keep up mine. It's hard enough as it is, right now. I would hate for an accident to suddenly happen to-"  
  
"Fine, fine, I'll be there. But if you put one tongue out of line, I swear I'll slug you, deal or no deal." I answered quickly. He wouldn't lay a hand on Jesse if I could help it.  
  
"Good, I look forward to seeing you then." He grinned. He was actually kind of handsome, the dark haired, tanned type of hottie most any girl would go for. That is, if he hadn't recently threatened their boyfriend, "And let's just keep between us, alright?" Paul finished with a hinting tone.  
  
"Well duh, Paul." Was all I said before turning and beginning my walk home. As if I was going to tell anyone, namely Jesse. No, thank you very much, I didn't want to kill the chances I had there. The last time Paul had talked to Jesse it hadn't exactly gone great. Jesse wasn't going to be inviting him over to play video games or anything soon. Not that Jesse played video games, but whatever. If he found out I was even talking to this guy, well, I wouldn't want to be in the same room. It was much better that he didn't know.  
  
At least that's what I thought until three the next day. 


	2. Chapter Two: Thoughts of a Spirit

A/N: Yes, I'm back for more! ^_^ This chapter is from Jesse's POV and throughout the story I'll be switching between them sometimes and a little with some other people, maybe. Just FYI, but I'll always put it in here if I do.  
  
Stunned. That's the only word I can think of for what happened at the graveyard. It all happened so fast, I almost couldn't remember it.  
  
I'd left the party at the Ackerman house as soon as I was sure Susannah would be safe and that Slater was far, far away. I traveled away, I wasn't quite sure where to, more distracted by my thoughts than anything. Father Dominic had been right, of course, there was no way I could avoid leaving now. Now that I'd caused a disturbance as great as the one that ensued when I lunged at Paul. Not that Susannah had then seemed to care in the least bit if I moved out. She'd made that perfectly clear before Paul had barged in. I'd been so sure that maybe, just maybe, she liked me a little more than that. Or at the very least, hopeful that she had thought something more of me than just a friend.  
  
I don't know why, but two days later I found myself standing in front of the most unlikely place, my own grave. Staring down at the words inscribed in the tombstone, my thoughts drifted back to Susannah, where they'd been for longer that I'd like to admit. Suddenly, I heard noises behind me, the sound of feet lightly coming down the path. I turned my head slightly and saw her standing there, looking as beautiful as ever in the moonlight above. She'd come over and we'd held hands and things had worked out, I suppose. I was too light-headed by it all to be thinking completely straight. To think she thought I actually wanted to move out, to get away from her.  
  
But that wasn't even the most extraordinary, if not best, part of the night that happened. We'd kissed, finally, and no interruptions stopped us this time.  
  
The next few days had been bliss and even with the preparations I had to make to leave the house, I found it hard not to be happy with just about everything. Too bad Susannah had been so busy with her after school government, whatever they did, after school lately. She was always complaining about it when she got home. At first I didn't think anything about it, but lately I'd been a little suspicious. I mean, how much time did they expect students to give to this thing? At least I hadn't heard anything from her about Paul lately. I hoped it meant he was staying out of her life. He better have been, as far as I was concerned. If he tried to lay a hand on her again, I swear I'd chop it off. But luckily it seemed like I wouldn't have to.  
  
I was sitting on the window seat in Susannah's room, Spike curled up at my feet, purring away, when she came in and threw her bag on the bed.  
  
I noticed pretty quickly that she looked a bit more angry than usual. I raised an eyebrow, "Is everything alright, Susannah?"  
  
She blinked quickly and smiled at me casually, although I still couldn't help but feeling she was just trying to cover something up, "Yup, just another long meeting of course. I can't stand the people there."  
  
My eyebrow stayed raised, "How many more meetings are you having this week?"  
  
"Err, only one," She answered although I could've sworn I heard her mutter, ", hopefully" under her breath. "I've got homework to do, so I think I'll just start now." She added quickly. Plopping down on her bed, she dug into her backpack and pulled out some textbooks. She opened them and, as far as I could tell, was trying to look as absorbed in them as possible.  
  
That was odd for Susannah. If there was one thing she hated more than government meetings, it was homework, and yet she seemed to be too deeply busy to talk. I was a little offended by that. For some reason she'd seemed to get more distant from me the past week. But I shrugged it off as just mindless thoughts and faded from the room, hoping she'd be a bit more social tomorrow.  
  
If I'd know then what was going to happen then, I would never have left my querida for a second. . 


	3. Chapter Three: Good News Aplunty

A/N: As if switching every chapter wasn't confusing enough, I'm switching near the beginning of this chapter! Bwahaha, evil me. ^_^ Thanks to my reviewers first: Latinagal and Lizzie9. All will, sort of, be revealed.well, eventually. ^_^  
  
Susannah acted even more high-strung the next morning. I just didn't get it. Not that I'd ever been to a high school, but I hadn't seen her so stressed out about something as simple as school before. Well, not after she'd told me that Paul had transferred. Even after that she still seemed nervous about something. That was one of the most, and only, irritating things about Susannah; she was very choosy about what she would and wouldn't tell you.  
  
"Good morning." I said casually, reading another one of the many volumes I'd found in her brother David's room. For a thirteen-year-old, he sure had quite a few interesting books.  
  
"Yeah, same." She responded, distractedly as she finished brushing her teeth in the bathroom. As she came out and grabbed her bag from the desk near her bed, she looked at me for a minute. I met her gaze curiously. She looked like there was something she wanted to say. If that was it, I knew how she was feeling, and maybe it was just me, but I thought I saw something there. Not that I knew what could be showing in her eyes, of course. She, even when she talked sometimes, never really explained everything.  
  
"Well, uh, have a good day. You're not moving out this afternoon, are you?" She asked. I blinked for a second. Those were two odd sentences to be putting together.  
  
"You too, Susannah. And no, I plan on leaving tomorrow night." After I finished I noticed that she looked relieved and I couldn't help but grin a little. She smiled back a bit, although it seemed kind of forced and she left me to puzzle things out myself.  
  
As I was sitting there thinking, book forgotten, although it still lay sprawled in my lap, a breeze floated in through the window. There was just something a little--different about this breeze. I could've sworn I heard a voice in it.  
  
'Jesse, escuche mí, listen to me. I know a great deal about you, fantasma, and now its finally time for you to help me.' It seemed to whisper in a celestial voice, like honey to the ear, although it had no obvious tones of gender to it, and I found, much to my surprise, I couldn't do anything but listen to it.  
  
__  
  
You'd think that I'd have learned right now to always trust my first instinct. I mean, being a mediator and all, this kind of thing comes up. Err, well, at least I suppose it must for who ever else has the ability. That's, like, what, one out of every billion or so people? Even so, even a regular girl should've had more common sense then I did.  
  
Although, luckily, I did one thing right that day. I went to Father Dom during lunch. Yeah sure, it was a little odd of me to go visiting the principal of my school as often as I did. But seeing as he'd sort of become my 'mediator mentor' I'd sort of gotten into this habit of popping up every so often. Anyway, I was starting to think Jesse might be catching on to my little, uh, fibs. It was for his own good, of course, but I wasn't sure he'd see it that way. I figured it might be good to let Father D. in on it.  
  
So there I was, sitting in front of a sixty-something, kind-of attractive for his age, man and fiddling with the strap on my backpack.  
  
Alright, so maybe I didn't know exactly what I was going to tell him once I'd gotten there. I mean, it's not like I was going to waltz up, all smiles, and say,  
  
'Hi Father D, I have to meet the spawn of Satan after school to keep Jesse- you remember him, that guy who lives in my bedroom who you seem to think I'm having a steamy affair with-from being exorcised again. Oh, and did I mention that my very life could be in danger? So if you don't mind, would you call someone if I don't show up at school on Monday?' That would just go over so well with him. I'd already driven him to start smoking again, if I said something like that I think I might just make him an alcoholic too.  
  
"Good afternoon, Susannah. What brings you to my office today?" He asked with the same calm voice he always uses around me when it seems like maybe, for once, that I might not be in trouble.  
  
"Uh, not much Father D." I answered with a shrug. Oh yeah, I was the queen of repose. Or at least that's what I hoped I looked like, "Just coming by to see if we have any troubles in the spirit world." As if. The last thing I needed right now was a pissy spirit after my blood.  
  
"Actually, now that you mention it, Susannah, there is something I was meaning to talk to you about."  
  
I groaned. I had a very good idea of what it was he wanted to talk about. Jesse. God, just because a guy lives in my room automatically means I'm up to something. Unfair, it's just unfair, even if I wished that we were.  
  
"If it's about Jesse, Father D, there really isn't-"  
  
Father Dominic raised a white eyebrow, "Susannah, it isn't about Jesse. But is there something I should know about?" Oh geeze, of course the first time it isn't about Jesse I have to go and bring him up anyway. I shook my head, making sure the gestures were very obvious.  
  
"Well, then, I'll continue with what I was saying." He paused and looked thoughtful, "I've heard rumors about a spirit roaming Carmel. An old spirit too, possibly even older than Jesse."  
  
"Rumors? Where did you hear rumors about a spirit? I mean, it's not like that many people can see them unless," I will admit, my mouth dropped open here, "You can't be talking about Paul!" Just his name right now sent a shiver up my spine and made me want to kick something at the same time.  
  
Father Dominic sighed. I couldn't blame him, either, I can't say I'm the most friendly person in the world when I'm ticked, "No, Susannah, it wasn't Mr. Slater. I made contact with one of the few spirits much like Jesse. The ones that don't wish to cause trouble, but haven't quite moved on yet. They told me they'd been hearing things from others like them in different areas of the state."  
  
"You mean dead people?"  
  
He dropped his voice low, ignoring me and leaned foreword over his desk a little, as if afraid of anyone hearing, "He's after mediators, Susannah."  
  
I must have gaped again or something because Father Dominic immediately straightened, "Not that I'd worry too much about it, I haven't heard much about him being around this area. Just be on your guard and don't you dare do anything rash without telling me, if you happen to find out more."  
  
Gee, thanks Father D. It's not like I had enough to worry about already without some psychotic ghost running around who, surprise, surprise, was after me. Or, I guess, everyone like me.  
  
Father D. really, really needed to work on his people skills.  
  
A/N: I hoped you liked it. :P Still haven't really jumped into the plot yet, but it will be soon, like next chapterish, I swear! Hope you guys like. Mwahaha, suspense! 


	4. Chapter Four: Mwah, No Title Yet

A/N: Me again. ^_^ More thanks to my reviewers. You guys are great! Oh, and genies9, I now allow unsigned reviews, I'd been meaning to change it. :P I need your guys advice, like if you think it's too boring or something. More is better! Oh, and this is Suze's POV again, in case you couldn't tell.  
  
Paul was waiting by the gate with his car at exactly two forty-five, just like he said he would. Of course I was still going to go over to his house, even with the new threat I'd just found out about from Father D. I was sure it wasn't anything I couldn't deal with. In fact, I was still more worried about Paul.  
  
He smirked as I slipped into his car, "Good to see you showed up, Suze."  
  
I tried to look indifferent, but let me tell you, it wasn't easy, "Did you think I wouldn't?"  
  
He shrugged amiably, "I wasn't sure. You're a bit unpredictable sometimes." His smirk changed to a small smile here, "Most of the time."  
  
I didn't respond. I just crossed my legs and folded my arms as he pulled out of the school parking lot. The drive to his house was pretty quiet. I didn't talk because, although I wouldn't admit it, I was freaked out about being in his house again. He didn't talk because, from what I could tell, he didn't have anything to say, a first for him.  
  
When we did finally pull into his driveway he gave me a skeptical look, wondering if I'd actually exit the car like a normal human being this time without spending five minutes like I had the last time I'd been there. Just to annoy him, I shoved my door open and got out, chin up.  
  
"Are you coming or what?" I asked, hoping to get some sort of annoyed reaction from him. Unfortunately, he just smiled in his odd way that made the hair on the back of my neck stand on edge and exited. He ushered me inside the building politely, almost like he didn't even remember what he'd done the last time I'd been over there. Not that it was that easy to forget, him sticking his tongue in my mouth and everything.  
  
The house looked the same. Still metal, modern, and as empty as it was the last time I'd been there. I shivered again as he led me into the kitchen and then to his room, the last place I could think of that I ever wanted to visit again. I disliked it even more than I hated limbo or whatever that place had been.  
  
"So, have you told him anything?" Paul asked and I could just spot some vehemence in his voice that tipped me off to who he was talking about. I seriously could've slugged him on the spot, but, lucky for him, I didn't.  
  
"Still no, and I'm not going to." I assured him yet again. Honestly, how many times did he have to ask me before he actually believed me? "Now, can we just get started on whatever it is you wanted to teach me about shifting or whatever?"  
  
"Sure, Suze." He avoided sitting on his bed, I noticed. Good idea, seeing as there was no way I was going to go anywhere near there again. Especially not with the developments I'd had in the Jesse department, as little as they now seemed to be.  
  
I was actually starting to feel a little at ease when I sat down in a chair until he moved to the door.  
  
"Don't even think about it." I hissed automatically and he just rolled his eyes at me. That's right folks, he dared to roll his eyes at me, like I was over-reacting or something. That kind of miffed me, I mean, I was only taking precautions.  
  
"Shifting isn't the only thing we can do." He casually leaned against the doorframe, blocking my only exit in case I tried anything, "You remember my friend Mike, right?"  
  
"If you mean the Hell's Angel, than yeah." As if I was going to forget that he had nearly stopped me from escaping the house the last time I was here. Thank god for designer shoes.  
  
"You called him my minion before you hit him with your shoe. That was actually pretty accurate. He does serve me and will until I decide its time to let him move into the Spirit World."  
  
"What?" His statement genuinely confused me. How could he keep that ghost here if he didn't want to be? I mean, Paul was buff and all, but Mike wasn't any pansy.  
  
"Along with the shifting, it's one of the many things we can do. Call spirits into our service and make them stay, whether or not they have other plans. It really can come in handy sometimes." Paul's voice had grown eerily quiet, "Suze, you have so much potential. If you only would stop being so scared of me. I could teach you more than you've ever dreamed. Than it could be just me and you."  
  
It was then that I decided that I'd had enough of our little chat.  
  
"Uh, okay, Paul, if you say so. I really got to be going home now, if you don't mind. I'll see you sometime next week I guess." I stood up, clutching my backpack with my hands until my knuckles turned white, I was that scared. I moved past Paul who, this time, didn't seem at all interested to stop me.  
  
"Going home to Jesse already, are we?" He called teasingly to me as I was headed down the hall, "You're losing your guts, Suze, running to him to hide all the time."  
  
I just continued walking down the hall and to the front door, although in a perfect world I could've beat Paul to a bloody pulp and Jesse would be alive again. Yeah, I so wish.  
  
That thought brought up more ideas that I didn't want to think about. He hadn't tried anything, had he? I'd kept up my half, so I figured he was just trying to get on my nerves. Sadly, he was doing too good a job at it.  
  
When I finally left his house, I almost sprinted three of the five miles to my house-I'd remembered to wear my jogging shoes this time- just to get away from him. And I'll admit I was concerned about Jesse, too. Just my luck that all my possible rides home were busy tonight.  
  
I burst into my house and yelled, "I'm home!" No one answered since, of course, everyone was gone. Let me tell you, our house is great and everything, but it isn't a place I'd want to be by myself at night. Luckily I was pretty sure Jesse would be waiting upstairs for me, as usual.  
  
Jumping every other stair, I skittered to a stop in my room and threw my bag on the ground. My room was, unfortunately, empty and silent, except for a scratching sound coming from my window.  
  
I walked over to the window and opened it slowly. I was still pretty spooked from my talk with Paul, so I didn't want to take any chances. A golden-red blur of fur bolted in, flicked his tail and landed on my window seat.  
  
"God, Spike, you scared the crap out of me." I moved my hand over to pet him out of instinct to be holding anything, especially since I was getting a sneaking suspicion something was up, another one of those little tingles down my back. It was what happened next that told me that I was right.  
  
That stupid ball of fur nearly sent me backwards by leaping into my arms and sticking his little, pink, sandpaper tongue in my face. The only good thing was that his rumbling purr broke the silence.  
  
"Wait a minute, Spike. What the heck was that for?" I nearly shouted at him, I was so shocked. Spike never showed any sign of liking me at all- even though I fed the stupid thing-, in fact the last time he had was when. . .  
  
I dropped him and he gave me a look of disgust. Oh my God. It couldn't mean what I thought, there was no way. It was just my imagination.  
  
I whispered into my room, although my suspicions had grown into fear in about a second, "Jesse? Where are you?" 


	5. Chapter Five: An Unexpected Guest

A/N: More Suze POV. ^_^ Again, thanks to my reviewers, I like knowing people are actually at least enjoying this a little. Oh, and I will write more, no worries, just don't hurt me! *Hides* Sorry about the wait and everything. I have too much school stuff going on lately. .  
  
Here's a little something about mediators. We take on ghosts and everything, yeah, but we're still regular people. Okay, so as regular as a person can be when they have to fit helping lost spirits among partying, hanging out, and having a life.  
  
So it only makes sense that the first thing I did was grab the phone. I didn't have a clue who I was going to call, though. I mean, I knew who I couldn't call. For instance, 911, my mom or step-dad, my friends, and pretty much anyone who, for some reason, thought I was a normal teenager. Even though Cee Cee was starting to catch on-she'd even figured out about Jesse by herself- I still wasn't quite ready to tell her everything.  
  
That's why I decided to call the rectory. As far as I knew, maybe Jesse'd just moved out a day early. I couldn't blame him if he did; I hadn't exactly been very social to him during the past few weeks. Not that the truth made me feel any better, like people always tell you it will. No, it would still be depressing if he'd moved out early and I hadn't gotten to say goodbye. The whole Paul Slater thing kept me busy, sure, but I still had it bad for Jesse. Too bad I'd pretty much gone and blown that by trying to help keep him with me.  
  
I picked up the phone when an obvious fact hit me. I had no idea what the phone number of that place was. Just a little ticked, but still more worried, I changed and decided that the sooner I ended the day, the better. Skipping dinner, which would've been a bowl of cereal anyway, I changed and went to sleep.  
  
At least, that'd been my plan. To sleep, I mean. Unfortunately, someone else had other ideas. Actually, there were a few someone elses.  
  
It was about eleven when the phone rang. I would've normally just ignored the stupid thing, as it wasn't even usually for me, but that night I jumped on it. I didn't want whoever else was home by then to make me miss an important phone call. For all I knew, Jesse could've learned to use a phone at the rectory. Hey, a girl can dream, can't she?  
  
Sadly, it wasn't his voice I heard when I picked up the phone with a groggy hello.  
  
"Hi, can I talk to Suze?" A boy's voice asked. Not that I was excited, he sounded at least five years younger than me.  
  
"You're talking to her." I responded, not too politely. I hate being woken up, especially when awake is the last place I want to be right then.  
  
"Oh, hi, Suze. It's Jack. How're you?"  
  
I swear I almost dropped the phone. "Jack?" I asked, quietly before hissing over the phone, "Why the heck are you calling me? Do you even know what time it is? Some of us are trying to get some sleep-"  
  
"Yeah, it's me, and Suze, shut up."  
  
I really could've yelled at the little punk. Calling me at eleven, calling me at all even, and then telling me to shut up. Excuse me for wondering why some little mediator kid I babysat over the summer who, by the way, is the younger brother of a certain Paul Slater, would be calling me.  
  
But he kept on talking anyway, his voice a little more repentant, "There's something you gotta know, Suze. My parent's won't let me use the phone, so I had to wait till now to call you, sorry."  
  
That was more like it. I assumed all he was talking about was some sort of stupid school problem or something when I answered, "Sure, shoot kid." I mean, it was pretty obvious I was some kind of role model to this kid, considering our shared gift and the fact that his brother sucks.  
  
"Okay, well, I kinda sent someone over to talk to you. They sounded kind of urgent and I didn't know what to do, so I told them to go to you. Oh yeah, she's a spirit by the way, sorry." He added quickly, as if hoping I wouldn't catch the last part.  
  
Although I was a little surprised that a ghost would travel all the way from Seattle to talk to me, I wasn't all that worried, "Um, alright. Thanks for telling me, I guess. Is that all? Because, you know, if she's coming I should probably get ready or something."  
  
"Yeah, that's everything. I'm really sorry, I didn't know what to do. I haven't had to help any really lost spirits yet, so I didn't really think I should try to help them in case I messed it up-"  
  
"Hey, no problem, okay?" I interrupted him. I regretted wishing he would apologize, as he wouldn't seem to stop once he got rolling, "I can handle it, no biggie. Next time, though, call me before you send a spirit and I'll try and help you then. If that's it, then bye."  
  
He said bye and I hung up the phone, rubbing my eyes. I'd just gotten used to sleeping at night like a normal person and then this had to come up. Oh well, the kid would learn eventually.  
  
I threw on the robe that hung over my bathroom door to cover my boxers and tee shirt. As soon as I had it on, I heard something knocking on my bedroom window. I slid it open and in climbed one of the sorriest looking spirits I'm pretty sure I've ever seen. 


	6. Chapter Six: Felicity

Authors Note: Again, sorry for the long wait. This time I do have a half- decent excuse. I fractured my wrist last Thursday, and it's kind of been slow typing with one hand until recently when, thank goodness, the pain decided to leave me alone. Anyway, here's another chapter and thanks to anyone who leaves me a comment or even just reads it.  
  
A little fact about ghosts that anyone who happens to be a Mediator learns pretty fast is that spirits are way over dramatized in fiction. They're not even remotely similar to the gory things you see in movies. Actually, apart from an eerie, spirity glow, there really isn't way you could tell them apart from a regular person. Ghosts appear how they did in their healthiest and, ironically, most alive part of their life.  
  
That being the case, I had to guess this person had led a pretty sorry life. Her clothes were pretty ragged, mostly torn up at the bottom, kind of like some kid from Oliver Twist movies, and her hair and skin weren't all that well cleaned either. She was a pretty pathetic looking thing, and I figured she couldn't be more than twelve, maybe thirteen. Pulling the last bit of her scrawny self in, she scrambled to her feet and looked nervously around, which I found a little stupid. I mean, if you're dead you haven't really got much to worry about.  
  
"Uh, hi." I said, trying not to sound pitying for her or anything. The last thing I wanted to do was tick off a ghost in my house at midnight.  
  
"Are you Susannah?" She asked, tilting her head to the side the way a rabbit does when it finally decides you aren't going to eat it on the spot. Her eyes were narrowed suspiciously.  
  
"That's me. How can I help you?" I really hoped it wouldn't be anything urgent. I mean, I wanted to get to sleep and I definitely did not want to have to go running around all over god knows where to complete some stupid errand.  
  
"Oh good, I was hoping I didn't have the wrong house." I sat down as she fidgeted with an apron that, I guessed, at one time had been white, before something hit me.  
  
"Uh, excuse me, uh, what was your name?"  
  
"Felicity." She answered quickly, still fidgeting.  
  
"Okay then, Felicity. You don't mind me asking, but uh, how long have you been, well," I tried to find a nice way to put it. Some ghosts really didn't like hearing the 'd' word, trust me.  
  
"Dead, you mean?" Her eyes widened and she smiled a little, before looking thoughtful and flicking back a strand of greasy, golden-brown hair, "Must be nearly, oh dear, I can't quite remember. I've lost count at least a dozen times. I'd guess somewhere around three hundred and ten years or so."  
  
I swear my mouth must've dropped open, "Three hundred? Like somewhere in the sixteen-hundreds?" Here I was talking to a three-hundred year old twelve year old who, may I point out, was at least a hundred and fifty years older than the oldest ghost I knew, Jesse. It was just a little daunting talking to someone that old, even if she only looked about one hundredth of that age. But that did explain her extremely poor fashion sense and hygiene.  
  
Luckily, I remembered why I was talking to her in the first place, "So, what's your problem? Why haven't you gone to the great beyond or wherever yet?"  
  
A small smile spread across her face, "I haven't found him yet, that's why. It's his fault I'm here." She crossed her arms stubbornly, the way kids do when they're really serious about something.  
  
"Okay, well, first, who's him?" This conversation was really starting to give me a headache. Why couldn't she want something simple like tell so and so such and such or give this to so and so? But of course, the ghosts that visit me at midnight can't want anything simple; that's just too easy.  
  
"Santo Heriberto Lobo," She recited, although she added a little bit of venom to the names, like something that was highly distasteful, "At least, that's what he told me, but seeing that everything else was a lie, I wouldn't be surprised if that is too." Her gray eyes lit up for a second, "It's his lies that got me here, you know. I wish I'd never met him!"  
  
I blinked. Well that was pretty obvious. I mean, if he'd somehow accidentally, or purposely, killed her it kind of meant sense that she seemed so, well, cheesed off.  
  
"So, what is it you need to do?" I asked, but was really, really hoping it wouldn't be what I was pretty sure it was going to be.  
  
"Revenge of course. I die, he dies. An eye for an eye." Felicity stated it so simply that it was almost spooky, even though it already was a little weird hearing that from a twelve-year-old. Not to mention that there was one problem with her little idea.  
  
"Uh, if you're as old as you say you are then chances are pretty high that he's already kicked the bucket. I mean, it kind of sucks and everything for you, but there's not much I can do about it. Sorry, kid."  
  
That creepy little smile crossed her lips again as she shook her head and said with assurance, "Oh, he's not dead. I'd know."  
  
That struck me as even eerier than her weird little smile. I mean, he'd have to be at least three hundred some by now if he was still alive and seeing as even the healthiest people don't live to be past one hundred now, I found it kind of unlikely that he wasn't dead. One thing it doesn't take a mediator to figure out is normal people eventually die. Then another thought hit me, and I must've groaned out loud because Felicity seemed to get even more peeved than before.  
  
"He's not like some sort of vampire or something is he?" I'd had problems with 'vampires' before, even if he turned out just to be a screwed up guy, and let me assure you, it wasn't fun.  
  
Felicity rolled her eyes, which calmed me down for a second before she actually talked, "No, of course not. Do you actually think I'd trust advice from a vampire? Good Lord, no. He's a shaman." I noticed her arms were crossed again.  
  
Super, just super. The spirit standing in front of me had a problem with some voodoo priest guy who, although I was really hoping otherwise, probably knew some kind of magic or something equally unappealing. I'm not the kind of person to go around looking down rabbit holes or to try to find the end of a rainbow, but I had, throughout my Mediating career, learned that some things are just unexplainable. Real, sure, but not explainable. The kind of thing my friend Cee Cee would've hated knowing about.  
  
"You're kidding me." Felicity shook her head emphatically and I sighed, rolling my eyes to stare at the ceiling, "Alright, let's assume I do believe your completely far-fetched story and decide to help you. What do you want me to do?"  
  
For once, Felicity's smile seemed to fit her age and she brightened, "Thank you, Miss Susannah. You're friend, that boy, told me this is the place called California. Was he right?" I nodded and her smile widened more, "Oh good, that saves me time then. He's somewhere here, I'm almost sure of it. If you could just help me look for him or tell me if you see anything suspicious I'd be ever so thankful to you."  
  
I raised an eyebrow, "Here? Like here in this house? Or 'here' like here in this block, in the city, in the general area, in the-" I was about to go on when she narrowed her eyes at me and I stopped. Hey, I had a pretty good feeling that a three hundred-year-old ghost had a good grasp of her powers. I didn't want to get turned to a frog or crushed by my ceiling or something.  
  
"Here in the colony, um, I mean city, I think." She bit her lip and looked as if she was trying to remember something, "I'm afraid I don't know what he'll look like, he's a shaman and everything so he doesn't stay in the same form for long," Of course he didn't, "but I know you'll know him when you see him."  
  
I nodded, "Sure, okay." I'd do whatever later to get her to leave so I could sleep off the pounding headache that was threatening to crush my brain, "Keep in touch." With a final smile-not the spooky one, but the friendly little girl one- she faded out into the air. Slipping off my robe I climbed back into bed, more than ready to drop off for at least another seven hours, hoping I'd remember our little conversation the next morning. Up to that point, I would've said it was one of the strangest encounters I'd ever had.  
  
Unfortunately, I was, as I seemed to be way too often, wrong again. 


	7. Chapter Seven: Weekend Ruining for Dummi...

A/N: Hullo again! Uh, absence makes the heart grow fonder? *Hides* Err, yes, I am alive and posting. Just remember, if you beat me up, there won't ever be another chapter! Yeah, I'm safe! ^_^ And for the Shaman definition, I asked a few people and this is the general thing I got, so sorry if it isn't exactly write, but hey I tried, I did. ^_^  
  
I had big plans for that weekend. First, I was going to somehow find the stupid rectory somehow and bike over to it to see why the heck Jesse hadn't at least attempted to visit me or something. Then I was going to try to sort out the whole Shaman thing as fast as possible to get that little problem out of my hair. Yes, I had my whole weekend mapped out in my head.  
  
Unfortunately, my mom and Andy had other ideas. The little talk they had that morning with me was not what I wanted to hear.  
  
I ran down the stairs, skipping every other one and was grabbing a nutritional power bar thing to eat on my way out when my mom's voice stopped me just as I was reaching out for the handle.  
  
"Where do you think you're going?" I spun around. Dopey-err, I mean Brad-, my stepbrother was standing there behind her, grinning like the stupid monkey that he was ninety-nine percent of the time.  
  
"Yeah, mom?" I said, in my most polite I'm-definitely-not-sneaking-out-to- cause-trouble voice, "Something wrong?"  
  
"Suze, your brother here has told me that you had a late night conversation last night on the phone. Now you know the rules around here about curfew." Her hands were on her hips, a sure sign I was headed into deep waters if I didn't do something fast. Sadly, I wasn't fast enough, "You're grounded for the weekend, Suze. No visiting friends, using the TV, or getting on the computer for the rest of the weekend."  
  
Dopey, looking way too pleased with himself, left. When my mom was sure he was gone she glanced around and put a hand to her mouth, "Although you can still use the phone, honey, but you're going to have to introduce us to him soon." She winked and went back into her bedroom.  
  
Stepping away from door I groaned. Great mom, thanks, just what I needed. Not only was I stuck at my house all weekend, a fate worse than death in my opinion, the only possible way I could now get a hold of Jesse was the phone. Seeing as that was already ruled out from earlier, I stalked upstairs, not much in the mood to spend another day trying to come up with more plans. I guess that's why there's always a plan B in the movies.  
  
After wasting away on my bed- all right, all right, more like something part way between sleeping and, well, okay fine, I was sleeping. Hey, I'd been up late last night and it's not like there was much more I could do!  
  
It was my phone that woke me up again. Let me tell you, I was seriously tempted to throw that thing out the window.  
  
"'lo?" I muttered into it after dragging it over to my ear across my bed, "Whosit?"  
  
"God, Suze, what's your problem? You sound like you got hit by a truck." Cee Cee's voice was mildly annoyed, "I haven't heard from you lately, so I just decided to call you and see what's up. You busy today?"  
  
I lifted myself up on one elbow, "I just missed some sleep last night, no biggie, and sorry about not calling you, I've been, err busy." There wasn't a thing that would make me want to explain the whole paranormal thing to Cee Cee, although she'd asked once or twice so I just avoided the question altogether, "No, I'm not busy, but I'm grounded all weekend." I groaned just thinking about it. I swear, forcing a child to stay inside all weekend is completely unconstitutional.  
  
"Ouch, tough break. Well, I guess that ruins our plan for the weekends then." I caught some disappointment in her voice and hey, I couldn't blame her. Parents obviously don't see just how many people their silly little punishments can hurt.  
  
"Hey, next weekend for sure, alright?" I promised over the phone, really, really hoping I could keep it.  
  
"Well-"She paused over the phone, sounding skeptical and I rolled my eyes. Honestly, sometimes she could sure hold a grudge, "Works for me. Well, have fun serving your term."  
  
Just as she was about to hang up I remembered something, I have no idea why I remembered it, but hey, at least I did, "Wait, Cee?" I practically yelled into the phone, hoping she hadn't already hung up.  
  
"What, Suze?" She snapped back after a second. The, uh, yelling probably hadn't been the best idea.  
  
"You wouldn't, by, erm, any chance happen to know what a Shaman is? Like from your aunt or something?" Cee Cee's aunt was, to put it nicely, just a little bit off her rocker. Or so Cee Cee and Adam had always thought. I, on the other hand, had this weird, creepy feeling about her, like the kind you get in déjà vu.  
  
"Uh...no, that's not one of those kinds of things teachers usually put on homework or tests." Cee Cee replied sarcastically.  
  
"Come on, Cee. Hasn't your aunt given you a book or something? Aunts always give nieces books, it's like a tradition or something!"  
  
I heard muttering over the phone and a light thump and then silence, but not the kind where someone's hung up the phone. In a couple minutes I heard lighter thumping in the background.  
  
"Shaman, a spiritual guardian in many religions, including but not limited to many Native American groups, some South American and Central American tribes, and many cultures in Africa, although not all of them use the well known term Shaman. Believed to lead souls to their final destination and guard them on their travel to the afterlife." She paused and I heard another thump, probably the book closing, "There, happy? Really, Suze, I don't know what you're thinking sometimes."  
  
"Thanks, Cee Cee, you're awesome. See you Monday. Bye!" I quickly spurted out over the phone and Cee Cee gave a half hearted bye herself. Setting down the phone I stared out the window where the monster lay rumbling his hypnotic noises to himself.  
  
Believed to lead souls to their final destination. Kind of like- kind of like a very early mediator, or a shifter, or whatever the heck it was Paul was always going on about. If that Shaman was in the neighborhood, which I knew he was thanks to creepy little Felicity's visit, and he had some kind of power over souls then maybe-  
  
Another thought hit me, actually, literally this time. Spike, that stupid fuzz head, had leapt into my lap when I was least expecting it, sending a very un-me like shriek and a pissed-off tigerish hiss bouncing off the walls.  
  
"Spike, what do you say to seeing if there've been any other odd little disappearances lately?" I asked him with a half smile, scratching under his chin- for once without loosing a chunk of my skin.  
  
He purred. 


	8. Chapter Eight: Monday

A/N: Yeah, I know the last chapter kind of sucked and was a wee bit on the shortish side, but I've re-read most of the series ((in two days, whoot. ^_^)) and I actually remember where I want this thing to go so expect more quality in the near future. And again, thanks to all my reviewers, I appreciate it. ^_^  
  
Monday could not come soon enough. I was honestly sick of the weekend, which isn't anything a sixteen year old girl should ever have to say. It wasn't only because of the whole being grounded thing, although that sure hadn't helped, it was also the whole homicidal Shaman, cryptic Paul, and Jesse leaving without so much as a goodbye to the stupid cat.  
  
Slipping into a light pair of flip flops- the kind they sell at little souvenir stands for like eight bucks-, I shoved my hair up in a bun and grabbed my bag from the foot of my bed.  
  
"Bye, Cat. Don't leave any little presents in my room while I'm gone." I dumped some dry food in his bowl and sprinted down the stairs, hopping into the car just as Adam pulled into the driveway.  
  
"Wow, Suze, you're actually on time for once." He said as I climbed into the back seat of his car as Cee Cee was already sitting in the front.  
  
"Yeah well, I need to talk to Father Dominic about-um, some student government stuff, so I figured I should get there earlier than normal." Another lie to add up to my slowly forming mountain of them, unless of course the Junior Student Government dealt with disappearing people, killer mystics, and impatient spirits on top of school car washes, where to have prom, and stuff like that.  
  
"Whatever Suze, I'm not complaining." Adam said with a shrug as he backed his car out of the driveway.  
  
--------  
  
"You want to know about what, Susannah?" Father Dom asked again for what must've been like, the fourth time in a couple of minutes.  
  
"If any spirits or mediators have gone missing lately." I repeated again, also for like the fourth time. Honestly, it wasn't as if it was that odd a question, well- okay, so maybe it was. But anyway, I figured if anyone would know it'd have to be either Father Dom or Paul, and I really, really preferred to talk to the former.  
  
"Susannah, I hope you realize that this isn't the kind of information I can just find on record somewhere. I mean, I don't even know if there are other mediators in the world-"He rubbed his temples with the tips of his fingers and looked way more stressed than usual. Obviously, whatever little crisis the whole 'disappearing mediator' thing had been earlier, it'd gotten worse since the last time I talked to him.  
  
"But you knew about that spirit guy or whatever he was earlier!" I protested. I was missing most of my first period for this, not that I really minded, but I was kind of hoping that maybe he'd know something.  
  
Which, knowing my luck, was probably stupid of me to think.  
  
"I knew," He began, as he dug through one of his desk drawers, "about the 'spirit guy' because one of the spirits around the school brought it to my attention. Otherwise I wouldn't have known anything about it." He paused and looked back up at me, as if to get his point across, "What you're asking for, I don't know if there's anyway I could-"  
  
"Why don't you just ask that guy again? I mean, he'd-"  
  
"She'd." Father Dom corrected me almost automatically.  
  
"Well, whatever. She'd probably know if people were just poofing away when they weren't supposed- Wait, she?" Father Dom nodded and I couldn't help but chuckle a little.  
  
"Hmm, so who is this 'she'? Is there something you haven't been telling me?" I asked teasingly. Yeah, it was mean, but oh well. I enjoyed it anyway, "I'm so hurt, Father D."  
  
"It's not near what you think, Susannah. She's just a very valuable link to the happenings in the Spirit-and even sometimes, human- world." Father Dom didn't even sound annoyed at me, as if he'd suspected what I'd think before he even said anything. That really kind of took the fun out of bugging him about it.  
  
"Then she'd probably know, wouldn't she?"  
  
"Yes, she probably would." Father Dom paused and closed the desk drawer. Peering over at me suspiciously, I squirmed. I knew he was trying to figure out if I was up to something.  
  
"What do you need to know all this for, anyway? Usually when you ask questions like this, it leads up to some, err, rather hasty actions."  
  
I rolled my eyes in the most convincing manner I could muster, "Really, Father Dom, I can't believe you don't trust me more than that." Actually, I could believe he didn't trust me more. It wasn't like I'd proved to be the most honest person in the past, what with all the plans and sneaking around behind his back and getting an eight year old kid to-almost-exorcise me. So yeah, I guess I could see why he didn't trust me. "I just want to know as much as I can so I can help you if things get out of hand. We mediators have to stick together." All except Paul, I thought. He could go take a long walk off a short pier, for all I cared.  
  
"I suppose." He said finally, giving into my outstanding reasoning skills, "But you'll have to wait until I can find her. She can be quite difficult to locate sometimes."  
  
"How long do you think it'll take?" I asked as patiently as I could, although I really was about ready to go there and drag her by her hair from the afterlife if it came to that.  
  
"A few days at the most, I'm sure. I'll ask Jesse to help with-"  
  
"Wait, what?" God, I sounded like a freaking broken record today.  
  
Father Dom looked startled, and I could blame him. I'd spoken just a little louder than I'd meant to and seeing as I hadn't been trying to keep my voice that low, well, I could understand. The receptionist even seemed to have heard me, as I watched her turn around in surprise through one of the windows on the closed office door.  
  
"Well, he's seemed quite overcome with boredom since he moved to the Rectory, and I'm sure he wouldn't mind helping. It would probably be the fastest way-"He began, nervously fidgeting with a paper weight on the table. He always hated talking about Jesse in matters that concerned me, especially since the last time he had I'd spent the next three hours bawling my eyes out.  
  
"Wait, he's at the rectory? How long's he been there?"  
  
"I believe since Friday afternoon. I thought we already went over this, Susannah. I'm sorry if you still don't agree-"He looked even more uncomfortable talking about the little matter of how he'd been involved in Jesse moving in the first place. About that, yeah, I hadn't been too thrilled when I'd first heard about it. Not that I was really happy with the whole thing now, of course.  
  
"Nothing, I just didn't know where he'd been lately. He was supposed to tell me when he left, and he didn't take his stupid cat with him."  
  
"Oh, well, Sister Agnes is allergic to cats and you know you can still talk to him if you want to. That's quite alright."  
  
Damn right it was.  
  
"But not right now. It's almost second period and you've already missed enough class time. I'll try to get in touch with January as soon as I can."  
  
"So that's her name?" I grinned as I stood up, feeling much more relieved than when I'd first come in, even if I hadn't found out a thing about the Shaman. At least Jesse was safe, even if he had the gall to leave without telling me.  
  
There was sun on my arms where the skin was exposed from my green tank top as I strode across the courtyard, as first period still had about five minutes or so to go. It was turning out to be a pretty good day after all.  
  
Or that's what I was thinking before I heard the sickening thump and blacked out. 


End file.
